Saturday, April 20, 2013

Not So Neighborly Neighbors

Over the past several years I've noticed a growing trend that really bothers me. That trend is one where people grow increasingly rude, obnoxious, inconsiderate and selfish. Everything is someone else's fault and they refuse to take responsibility for anything. It is a constant barrage of me, me, me and my rights are more important than your rights. I really hate this trend. It has spread to all areas and aspects of our communities, whether professional, religious, political or anything else.

Here in the U.S. I've watched as the Evangelical movement rises and continues to swallow anything Christian in its path if it cannot convert it to Evangelicalism, if that is even the right word to describe it. You see, I grew up in a tiny church where the ministers preached against evangelical movements because they did not adhere to the word of God nor the word of Christ. It was preached that the path of an evangelical was lies, deceit and the corruption of the Christian faith, and I DO see that today.

My Grandmother taught me to use my manners, to be a good citizen and to treat others as I would be treated, to trust, to love and to forgive. Following that as a way of life for many years, I got screwed over, used and walked on. At last I came to a decision to treat those who treated me kindly with kindness, and to treat those who mistreated me with a no nonsense fuck off.

I still try to give people the benefit of doubt, but so often they run with this, taking it as an opportunity to try and screw me over.

Cain and I moved out of the city, away from towns and settled in a quiet peaceful community of retirees and down to earth vacationers. We live in tranquility, or did, until our next door neighbor had a stroke. Now his children are there all of the time, making noise all hours of the day and night. The worst offender is his daughter--a gal in her 30's if not 40's--who blasts her music so loud that it shakes the floor and rattles the windows. She drowns out your TV, your own music, and if you are trying to rest or recover from illness you are simply shit out of luck. She has been spoken to, but shrugs it off as though she were the Queen and we peasants are beneath her contempt. However, should you mention calling the police on her, THEN she quietens down. The problem is that much of our police force is still dirty and on the take from drug pushers and scumbags. They have allowed this behavior in town until it is nearly a ghost town, because no one wants their family around crack heads and criminals who think nothing of breaking and entering to steal your stuff for their drug habit.

We moved to get away from that crap, we moved to a place that was quiet because I cannot afford to have another heart attack or stroke. I've had both due to the stress of 24/7 noise and threats from pushers because we won't buy their shit. Sorry, but I would rather keep a clear head and write, rather than waste my life getting high or dead.

Anyway, it was tranquil out here until several months ago when the neighbor's adult idiot children moved in and started to mooch off of their dad.

As I've been trying to recover from a repetitive flu bug and while grieving, this woman has made noise that would wake the dead. I've been unable to sleep for 3 days as she makes noise by slamming, banging, revving her engine and blasting her damn music. There are noise ordinances but she thinks she is above that. I've tried to be a good neighbor, keep to myself, mind my own business, keep music low after 9 pm and not turn it up before 12 noon. Even then, you cannot hear my music outside of the house. Her music jarred me out of bed the other day, as my bed shook, my windows rattled and the floor vibrated my attempt at sleep was an epic fail.

This is NOT being a good neighbor, nor is it being christian or reasonable or anything positive. This is a sign of our times, where blatant rudeness and selfishness prevail, where a neighbor's health (and their father's health) are jeopardized because this cracked out bitch wants her music so loud you cannot carry on a conversation in your own home!

Our nation is not getting better. Our politicians and lawmakers make laws they do not uphold, or only uphold when it is someone they dislike. It is the style of the day to be bigoted, racist and selfish while touting a belief in christianity and at the same time judging others harshly and condemning them (which is not christian!). We now live in a world that applauds losers and demonizes hard working, good people as "takers". When people like Paul Ryan suck at the government's teat and proclaims himself a christian and a maker, while not upholding the tenets of his faith, and embracing this Ayn Rand bullshit trend, while trying to take away our rights and our social security and health care, tagging us who paid in for years as "takers" I not only want to kick him in his non-existent squishy pink lady balls but I also want to tell him HE is what's wrong with America!

He and those like him are pushing this trend of selfish self centeredness as they vote in their own pay raises and make laws that take away our freedoms and constitutional rights. He is a prime example of a not neighborly neighbor, his kind have led to the bullshit of our next door neighbors being rude, inconsiderate douche bags.

Look around you and you see more and more people screaming to be seen or heard, as they cry out for their 5 minutes of celebrity fame. They want to be the next reality TV star, the next Kardashian or Girl Next Door, getting paid to do nothing. They seem to believe that they are so special that they are above the law and that common courtesy is beneath them.

I miss my America where people still said Please, and Thank You, and wished each other a Nice Day! We have become a nation fraught by rude, talentless, drifters looking for the next mark to score an easy ride from. We have become a nation of loud, obnoxious, rude and pushy oafs who think they are all too good to mind their manners and to cultivate basic common decency.

Sadly, this is this first time I've gotten to write anything in over 2 months. It is, surprisingly quiet at 3:15 am this Saturday. What a miracle!

Hope you guys are having it quieter and more peaceful than we have had it.

Wishing you Peace & Health,
Storm



Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Pain, Loss & Life

April 2, 2013

It has been quite some time since I've been able to post anything to a blog. For the past few months I've been battling multiple run-arounds with an incredibly tenacious flu-bug that will not relent. Antibiotics, OTC remedies, home remedies--nothing works.  I would start to panic, but there are so many people around here who have it, or have had it, and they fought tooth and nail to get over it. The hitch is that is is not a full blown so-sick-you-think-you'll-die variety. It is a milder, but far more hard to shake bug. Makes me wonder if it is a "legit" bug or a manufactured one being tested on U.S. citizens. Would not be the first time.

Anyway, I've felt sluggish and achey, really tired for what seems forever. Of course that could be the seasonal flare up of my RA and that makes everything pale under a haze of pain.

The recent weeks have been difficult as I've watched family and friends go through some very painful and very scary things. I won't go in to detail as that would intrude on their privacy, but it hurts to see those you care about suffer in any way.

This past weekend was a long and difficult one. My dear friend, fuzzy buddy and feline companion passed away. I've known this kid since we rescued him from the SOB that was going to shoot him. I don't want to go into that or I will be apt to pick up a shovel and beat the bastard black and blue as rage and grief crowd in again at the thought of never getting to know this beautiful kid.

I would rather introduce you to a sweet soul who was the source of so much joy; a tender spirit that was loving and fiercely protective, who could be such a badass macho dude, yet be put in his place by one look from an old-timer female kitty.

"Dizzy" as we called him, which was a nickname that stuck after Rizolvir became Riz, then Rizzy and when he grew goofy and playful turned into Diddy and at last Dizzy. You know how you pick a perfect name for your pet (or your child!) and it gets shortened into something you never would have expected!

Dizzy was a massive black cat, long haired and fluffy. He was also part Maine Coon and simply gorgeous to look at. As he got older he hated anything black: my shoes, purse, roses, stuffed Halloween cat. If it was black he had an instant hatred of it. We connected this hatred to the time in 2007 when the power went out due to a nasty ice storm. Since that time, Dizzy had a night light on so he would not be afraid of the dark. The irony of a black cat hating all things (and creatures) black, when he was the blackest, fluffiest thing ever did not escape us.

For those relics who still claim that black cats are evil, I kindly ask you to go fuck yourselves you ignorant, backwards assholes.

Black cats are no different than white ones, orange ones, striped ones or any other color or blend there of. Do not be afraid of adopting a black cat or dog. These kids need good homes with stable sane people who are not living in the dark ages or believing in sadistic fairy tales. Be kind: take in a needy rescue animal. Your life will be enriched!

In the end, one of my best and dearest friends passed in our arms quietly. He was not in pain, he was not frightened. He was held and loved and knew the safety of his people as he had since six weeks of age when we rescued him and his sister.

A huge hole has been left in our lives and hearts as we mourn the passing and loss of Dizzy, but we hold dear to the knowledge that he had a good life, a long life, and we could be there to comfort him.

While I'm usually not keen to share photos online as there have been some damn weird things happen, I will share a photo or two of Dizzy.

Rest in Peace, Dizzy, safe and under the gracious protection of Bast.